Composite wire lath



1,641,872 Sept- 6,1927- R. J. souTHwELL COMPOSITE WIRE LATH Filed July30, 1926 Patented Sept. f 6, 1927.

UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND J. SOUTHWELL, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WICKWIRESPENCER STEEL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

comrosrrn WEEE LATE.

` Application filed July 30, 1926. Serial No. 125,860.

This invention relates to a Wire lath such as is largely used in`building construction as a support for plaster or cement.

It is the general objectof my invention t`o provide a construction inwhich ordinary woven wire fabric may be made available for suchpurposes, b combining the wire fabric with a suita le backing sheet oftough paper or other similarv sheet material,

U and by firmly securing the backing sheet to the wire fabric.

A further object is to provide improved stifening andv supporting meansfor the composite lath, by which the Wire fabric and hacking sheet'willbe definitely spaced from a rsupporting structure, and at the same timethe composite lath will be rendered more rigid and better available forthe purposes defined.

With these and 'other objects in view, my invention further consists incertain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafterdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Preferred forms of ythe invention are shown in the drawings in whichFig. 1 is a front view of a portion of my improved composite wire lath;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

. Fig. 3`is a partial rear view, showing the means for securing theparts together;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but 35 showing the use of a differentshape of wire mesh;

Fig. showing a modified construction to be dei scribed;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, indicating the way in which my improvedlatiris to be used;

Fior. 7 is a sectional plan view, taken along the lme 7-7 in Fig. 6; and

-Fig. 8 is a sectlonal view of a further modication.

Referring to the drawings, my improved composite Wire lath comprises alayer of Wire fabric 10, which may be of the hexagonal mesh shown in'Fig. 1 or of the square mesh shown at 11 in Fig. 4.

The Wires of either orm of fabric may be twisted together, as indicatedin Fig. 1, or may be formed by securing the wires to 5 is a. viewsimilar to Fig. 2 but` f thereby.

each other by welding or galvanizing, as

shown in Fig. 4'or by any other common method.

.A backingsheet 12 of strong p'aper or other similar fibrous material isplaced directly against the back of the wire fabric 10. Stiffening ribsor elements 13 are placed at intervals` against the back of the paper12, extending from edge to edge of the Wire fabric, and preferably ofthe substantially V-shaped form indicated in Fig. 2, the open edges ofthe V abutting the rear face of the backing 12.

The stiifening elements 13 are preferably secured in place by suitablefastening devices. such as clips or bands 14. as indicated in thedrawings. Each of these clips may comprise a strip of sheet metal whichembraces one of the stiifening elements 13 and which has its free endsprojecting through the backing 12 and clamped about certain elements ofthe Wiren fabric 10 or l1.

The parts are thus permanently secured to form a unitary structure whichis preferably made up in the form of square or rectangular sheets, readyto be applied to a building structure diagrammatically indicated at 16(Fig. 7

The composite sheet will cover a certain number of standard spacesbetween the studs or supports 16 and is preferably wide enough tooverlap to the edges of the studs at each side of the sheet. The otherdimension of the sheet may be anything desired, but I have found itconvenient to make the sheets of not too great length. The sheets arecommonly secured by nails or staples driven through the stiffeningelements 13.

W'hen my improved lath is thus secured to a supporting structure, thebacking sheet and wire fabric are definitely spaced from the supportingstructure by the stifening elements 13thus providing a predeterminedspace back of the composite lath.

When the plaster or cement is thereafter applied to such a vcompositelath, the paper or backing will be forced rearward slightly away fromthe wire fabric and sufficiently to permit the plaster to firmly engagethe fabric and to be permanently 'supported At the same time, however,the backing sheet prevents the forcing of an unnecessary amount ofplaster or cement through the screen, thus economizing plaster andpreventing the formation of a layer of plaster of unnecessary thickness.

In Fig. 2 I have indicated the sheet 12 of paper or fibrous material asbeing folded into the V-shaped stiffening element 13, thus providingapocket 18 to receive a portion of plaster and form an additional tiebetween the laster and the lath.

While this construction is desirable, it is not indispensable and I mayalso use the construction shown in Fig. 5, in which the sheet 12 extendsstraight across the opening of the stiilening element 13, this latterconstruction being somewhat easier to manufacture and being sufcientlyeffective for geneial purposes.

The dimensions of the wire fabric may be somewhat widely varied, but Ihave found that either square or hexagonal mesh, with openings of awidth of onealf inch or more furnishes a very satisfactory foundationfor the support of plaster or cement.

I may also locate the stiffeners 20 between the wire fabric and the paer backing, as shown in Fig. 8, thus providing 'a definite furring spacefor the plaster or cement. In this case I preferably provide a second U-shaped stiffening member 23 at the back of the paper backing 22 and.secure the arts together by clips 24 encircling both stif'feningmembers 2() and 23 and also portions of the backing 22 and wire fabric21.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to he limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as setforth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. A composite wire lathhaving, in combination. a sheet of wire fabric, a layer of fibrous sheetmaterial disposed adjacent and immediately in rear of said wire fabric,a plurality of substantially- V-shaped metal stiffeninor strips havingtheir open sides forwardl tdisposed and abutting the back of said brousmaterial, and means to secure said stiffening elements, said fibrousmaterial and said wire fabric permanently together to form a unitarystructure.

impara 2. A composite wire lathv having, in combination, a sheet of wirefabric, a layer of fibrous sheet material disposed at the back of saidwire fabric, a plurality of substantially V-shaped metal stiffeningstrips having their open sides forwardly disposed and abutting the backof said fibrous material, and clips encirclino said strips and extendingthroufrh said fibrous material and said wire fabric to firmly securesaid parts together, said stiffening strips adapted to definitely spacesaid fibrous material from a supporting structure.

3. A composite wire lath having, in combination, a sheet of wire fabric,a layer of fibrous sheet material disposed at the back of said Wirefabric, a plurality of substantially V-shaped metal stiffening stripshaving their open sides forwardly disposed and abutting the back of saidfibrous material, and clips encirclinfr said strips and extending throuhsaid ibrous material and said wire fabric to firmly secure said partstogether, said fibrous material being depressed within said V-shapedstrips to form pockets effective to receive portions of the plaster orcement applied thereto.

4. A composite wire lath having, in combination, a sheet of wire fabric,a layer of fibrous sheet material disposed at the back of said wirefabric and spaced therefrom, a plurality of substantially V-sha ed innermetal stifl'ening strips positione between said wire fabric and saidfibrous material, and having their open sides forwardly disposed andabutting the back of said wire fabric, a plurality of lU-shaped outerstiffening members secured at the rear of said fibrous material and eachadjacent to one of said V-shaped stifl'ening strips, and clips eachencircling an inner and an outer stiffening strip and portions of saidfibrous material and of said wire fabric and securing all of said partstogether.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RAYMOND J. SOUTHWELL.

